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An Interview With Thomas “The Vigilante” Kearins

This interview and the one with Eddie Sideburns are a wee bit different from the norm. Not just because they’re both referees in pro wrestling, but because they face each other in a charity boxing match this Sunday. All the details for which can be found here.
All for a good cause, so drag your body down to The Garage this Sunday. £6.50 a ticket. Cannae beat it.

Tam “The Vigilante” Kearins earned that nickname after he jumped into the crowd and took care of some wank who chucked a beer in the ring at ICW. That makes Tam a hero, and it also makes him ICWs resident senior ref. He answered a few questions for me in the lead up to the big scrap, the answers to which are contained below. Please enjoy, wipe yer feet on the way in. Cheers.

So you’re the second ref I’ve interviewed, having just finished up an emotionally charged exchange with your opponent on Sunday. Mr Eddie Sideburns. I asked him this same question, so first and foremost. How do you feel the black and white attire compliments your facial features?

I’m not entirely sure that they compliment by facial features in any way. I did however read somewhere that stripes are slimming so I’d like to think that if it compliments anything, it’s my figure, but that’s for the fans to decide, Martin.

Well there you have it. Please leave a wee comment in the section below regarding which of Tam Kearins features you believe are highlighted the most by his refereeing attire.

Runaway Rumble on Sunday. You against the aforementioned Sideburns. Proceeds going to a very worthy cause. So tell us how its gonnae go on Sunday. Is big Tam packing a punch?

As anyone who is following me on Facebook or Twitter (@thomaskearins) knows, I am being fully endorsed by Polo Promotions. Do you really think Jackie, Mark, DCT or Coach would let me slack off? I’ve been put through a tailor-made training programme to ensure I’m both physically and mentally prepared for the onslaught that I’m sure Roberts has planned for me. I also have DCT and Coach in my corner on the night as representatives of Polo Promotions to ensure we bring home a victory by whatever means necessary.

Unless Eddie’s got the NAK, he’s fucked…..

Who is your personal hero in wrestling? If its Nick Patrick you can get gtf

Rey Mysterio. That might seem odd considering names like The Rock, Austin and Hogan are heard so regularly. For me, Mysterio represented a shift in what a textbook professional wrestler was considered to be at the time. I was completely hooked by the Lucha Libre style that he brought to WWE and have the up most respect for the hurdles that he had to overcome in his career due to his size. On a totally different scale, I can somewhat appreciate how frustrating it must have been for him as I’m 6ft+ and hear regular complaints that I shouldn’t be a referee. I guess I like to think that talent will ultimately triumph.

What are your aspirations in wrestling. Are you strictly a ref, or is there any designs there on getting in the ring yourself?

As I’m sure a lot of people will be aware of if they’ve listened to my interviews with Wrestleshark and Breaking Baws, I was fully trained in professional wrestling for almost three years from the age of around thirteen onwards. I was trained in Scottish Wrestling Alliance’s ‘Area 52’ unit in Linwood by the likes of Damian O’Connor and Adam Shame. Damo and Shamer were probably the best trainers in the school at that time. The rest (who I won’t name) were more interested in booking the trainees whose fathers could give the most favours or put the most arses in seats at events which ultimately lead to my departure from training and transition to refereeing. The rest is history.

Highlight of your career so far?

Probably crowning London and Kendrick as the new ICW Tag Team Champions in Newcastle’s O2 Academy. My mum paid for tickets for us both to attend WWE in Braehead Arena in 2006 (I was 11 at the time) and those two were in the opening match defending their WWE Tag Team Championships. Fast forward almost ten years later and I’m raising their hands in victory, mirroring the scene that I was so immersed in as a young boy at his first wrestling show. Everything came full circle and the fact that I’m 19 years old and can say I’ve had a career highlight like that already is incredible. I’m very lucky and it would never have happened without promoters like Mark Dallas, Damo and Kage Tyler who continued to use me which allowed me to improve and learn from every event.

That was a beautiful answer. I think I might ask big Tam out on a date. Wish me luck eh!

How do you rate the Scottish wrestling scene up against the rest of indy wrestling?

I’m going to try to not be totally biased here. I honestly think there’s only so many times we can preach how outstanding the scene is here before you have to come and experience it for yourself. It’s a bizarre situation. Once you’re in the arena, you’re hooked. I don’t care if you’re a die-hard or casual fan, once you’ve been to one ICW event everything clicks and you know exactly why there’s so much hype, excitement and support behind the Scottish scene at the moment. ICW has been a catalyst for the massive boom in Scottish wrestling in the past two years and companies like SWA and Pride do an amazing job of ensuring fans under the age of 18 have somewhere to watch the best family friendly pure wrestling events in the UK.

As for the rest of the Independent Professional Wrestling scene, in my opinion it’s very much a case of X country has it’s spotfests, Y country is full of gimmicks, etc. I honestly believe that Scotland has the best all round package of Professional Wrestling on the planet right now. There’s something for everyone and I couldn’t be prouder to be a representative of the industry from Scotland.

Last but not least, tell everyone why they should drag their arse out to the Runaway Rumble on Sunday

The charity that is behind the Runaway Rumble event is called Runaway Scotland. Runaway does some incredible work in preventing the domestic issues that lead to runaway children in Scotland and I know it’s a charity close to the heart of a lot of people participating in the event at The Garage this Sunday. On top of it all being for a good cause, the event boasts ten boxing matches, a tag team wrestling match, a rap battle between the Wee Man and Joe Hendry as well as a 5 on 5 Fierce Females match. What makes it even better is that tickets are as cheap as £6.50 from http://www.tickets-scotland.com and Box on Sauchiehall Street. You’ll also get to see me in a different environment, I’m not entirely sure how I’ll warm to the referee. I might have to check him first.

Couple of plugs for the bold Tams social media links. Get in amongst them. Huge thank you to The Vigilante for his time, and his stellar answers. All the info will be in the link at the top, but for those who managed to miss it. Runaway Rumble is this Sunday at The Garage. £6.50 a ticket. Doors at 5, with the first bell at half 6. Come along support a good cause and have a smashing time doing it.